The Unwanted Wife: No Longer His Shield

the window of the

s splashing onto the leather of her Birkin bag. She didn't blink. She couldn't. H

, her husband of two years, Bran

al it made Aryanna's stomach violently drop, he draped the expensive fabr

ached out. His large hand, the same hand that wore their platinum weddin

chest, traveling down her arms unti

n her mouth, gasping for the cold, damp air

phone. She dialed Branden's private number, he

g. Once. Twic

he line cl

filled her ear. The heavy irritatio

o her palm, using the physical stin

the Central Park penth

he watched Branden g

phone. "The merger requires an all-

p. Just l

ellow streaks. The "old money emotional detachment" she had tried so hard to understand for two

anger crashed over her, en

assenger seat. It bounced off

chauffeur, her voice hard.

hed against the wet asphal

Louboutins clicked sharply against the cheap linoleum floor. She ignored the wide-eye

She didn't stop there. She grabbed three boxes of premium pe

cream-colored stationery from her bag. The M

tick. Using the blood-red wax, she scraw

l-night merger. Don't make a bastard

ote into a brown paper bag. She used her ph

to a guy on a motorcycle. Watching the taillights of the courier di

e," she told

ent living room of the Central Park penthouse. A half-emp

wall ticked. Then, the

muscles tense, ready for Brand

r doors s

Reid Holloway, Branden's

as he stepped into the penthouse, clutching his leather briefc

mask of ice. She snatched the

eck fluttered out. It

aid to take the money, go to Fifth Avenue, and buy something that will k

Aryanna like a physi

broke. She stared at the blank check. It represented limitle

, dropping straight onto

scream. She

ith both hands and ripped i

eyes we

blank check was nothing but confetti. She opened her hands, let

ho was famous for loving money

a shaking finger

she whispered, her voice la

He practically ran b

stared at the torn paper on the floor. For the first time in t

ught, her phone vibrated violent

n emergency call from her a